OFF-SEASON BLUES
Jarrett Pflieger
You just finished your last race of the season and set a new personal record for that course. Once your accomplishment sinks in, it’s quickly replaced by a feeling of emptiness. What do you do now that racing season is over? What could you possibly have to look forward to for the rest of the year? The answer… next season.
Now is not the time to take four months off of training. Sure, go ahead and relax for a few weeks after a good season, but you should already be preparing for next year and keeping your current fitness levels from dropping too much. Your goal doesn’t necessarily need to be improving fitness, but your top priority should definitely be maintenance. Why waste all the hard work you did this past year? Stay on your game and come back solid next year. So how do you do this?
Off-season tip #1: Don’t train like a maniac
Chances are, you were training like a maniac during the season and your body needs some active rest. If you were training at your full potential, it will be very difficult for your body to sustain very intense and long training cycles year in and year out.
Now is the time to give you body and mind a rest by taking it easy and trying something different. Maybe spend time with the family or call up some friends and relatives you haven’t spoken with during the last eight months of training. They would probably be excited to hear from you.
Off-season tip #2: Cross-train
If all you do is swim, bike, and run, you will have severely under-developed muscles that are not used during these activities. This can affect performance and lead to injury. Take this off-season to do other things you enjoy to activate forgotten muscles.
Go surfing, hiking, skiing, or play some football, soccer, hockey, etc. Definitely swim, bike, and run occasionally, but keep the intensity lower than maximum and keep it unstructured. Just go by feel, and if you are the type that feels the need to punish yourself every workout, maybe you need to structure off-season workouts to be less intense.
Off-season tip #3: Hit the gym
I can talk until I’m blue in the face about the benefits of resistance training to endurance athletes, but many still refuse to do it, mostly due to time constraints. Now it’s the off-season, your workouts are shorter, and it’s time to hit the weights.
Strength and resistance training is probably the single best thing you can do to increase power and prevent injury. Just start slow if you are new to resistance training, then increases sets, reps, weight, rest duration, etc. as you go. It would be best to find a training plan or get a personal trainer, but just doing it is better than not doing it at all. Just make sure you are using proper technique or you could hurt yourself.
Don’t feel like you need to fling around heavy weights and barbells to train for more power. Resistance bands, stability balls, medicine balls, and many bodyweight exercises can be nearly as beneficial and much less dangerous. All you really need is two to three days a week for 20 – 30 minutes. Try doing circuits with back-to-back workouts sans rest.
Off-season tip #4: Concentrate of form
Now is the time to correct problems you have with your technique. You workouts should be shorter and less intense, so now you can really focus on correcting flaws in your swim stroke, pedaling efficiency, or running form.
What’s the use in logging countless hours using poor form? Your body will just learn the bad technique and it will be harder to correct later. Use this off-season to improve technique in your weaknesses, which will allow you to go faster and use less energy. Have a coach look at your technique and maybe even get some video of yourself so you can see what you are doing wrong.
Off-season tip #5: Plan your race schedule
What’s the next best thing to racing and training? Planning your racing and training of course!
Do some research on which races you may want to do next year. You can begin to plan your training early to be prepared for those races based on the distance and the terrain of the race. Don’t decide you are going to try your first Ironman a month out from the race; you will not be able to be ready in time.
Hopefully some of these tips were helpful. It is very easy to get complacent and lose fitness over the off-season. Be the person that maintains or even improves before next season even starts. Now go out and have a social life for the next few months, it won’t last long.
OC TRIATHLON COURSE TALK
Ron Saetermoe
We’re glad that the OC International Triathlon is back for a second year now since the race tragically ended in 1993 with Jim MacClaren’s crash that made him a quadriplegic. It truly is one of the great Southern California races.
I first did the race in 1984 as part of a relay team when I was working for Mitsubishi Motors. I’m a pretty good swimmer and the company team needed a swimmer so it all worked out. This was to be my second triathlon, and first as a member of a team. My first was in 1983 in Iowa – who knew!
Anyway, we thought we’d invite anyone out that wanted to sit in on a “course talk” here at Triathica. We’ll go over the course and discuss race strategy. We’ll also hear from Pete and Corrine, the two athletes we’ve had the pleasure to train for the past 10 weeks.
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Triathica, 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
For more information please contact Jarrett Pflieger at Jarrett@triathica.com or 949.273.6223.
MENTAL PREPARATION FOR RACING
Ron Saetermoe
I’m no mental health expert but I do know a few things about getting mentally prepared for triathlon racing. Having done over 100 races I’ve learned a few things you might find helpful in your upcoming races.
1. Be physically prepared: The more physically prepared you are the more mentally prepared you’ll be. If you’re going to be doing your first Ironman and the longest you’ve ever ridden your bike is 50 miles, you’re not prepared.
2. Be organized: You’ll find the most comprehensive pre-race checklist at www.triathica.com that I’ve ever seen. Create your own list and check it numerous times before the race. Reduce your stress by being ready.
3. Go to the race site: The more you know about the race and the race site the more confident you’ll be on race day. For this reason, I love doing the same races over again, because I know the race.
4. Sleep: If you don’t get enough sleep you simply can’t be mentally prepared. Granted, it will be hard to sleep the night before a race so get some good sleep two nights before and nap the day before, if possible.
5. Eat right: Your mental health is impacted by what you eat. Put good stuff in and you’ll be sharper mentally.
6. Visualize: Visualize the entire race from where you’re going to seed yourself in the swim to the smile you’ll have at the finish line.
7. Practice: Practice your form in all three events and practice your transitions.
8. Consider contingencies: Rarely does everything fall into place on race day. Try to determine all of the conceivable problems from hydration issues to flats. Determine in advance what you can control and how you’ll deal with it.
While I’m no Dave Scott or Mark Allen, I have done a lot of racing and find that these tips have helped me over the years. I hope they’ll help you too.
Cheers!
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (Week of September 7th)
All of our group workouts are free to members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of August 31st
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Lake Mission Viejo (MUST RSVP – LIMITED SPACE — $2.00 GATE CHARGE)
Day: Wednesday, September 9th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, September 12th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 2 loops around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, September 13th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Mission Viejo Lake From the 5 N take Alicia Pkwy North Make a left at Olympiad Turn left to the Lake Mission Viejo |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the I-5 Freeway: Exit Bake Parkway and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Parkway South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building (Automotive Associates’ building) |
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #10
Jarrett Pflieger
Another very hot week and another week of training logged by Pete and Corrinne on their quest to dominate the Orange County Triathlon on September 27th.
Lucky for them, this extremely hot week also coincided with a recovery week in their Triathica training plans. In a recovery week, the workouts are meant to be easy and not stress the body too hard. Just getting the blood pumping a little and not pushing it will allow the body to repair itself from the previous two weeks of build up.
Even though the workouts were meant to be easy, Corrine was still feeling effects of the heat. “ This week I felt pretty tired and sluggish most likely from the heat,” she said, “or maybe it’s because I am up late with my kids, and their football schedules, combined with the fact that I get up at 3:45 to open here at Triathica. I’m getting a bit run down.” Corrinne also missed her swim workouts this week due to being so busy, but luckily her swimming is already pretty strong. What she is really trying to focus on right now is the bike and getting the pace up in the run. When it comes to pure distance, she’s got that covered.
“I am also trying to train for a 50 miler in November. It’s rough trying to start trail running when you haven’t done it for a couple of months. The weather has just been too hot! I am really looking forward to some cooler temps,” Corrinne explained.
As for Pete, a notorious over-trainer, the heat made sure he didn’t push himself too hard, even if he wanted to. “ This past week really felt like a recovery week because it was so hot. I was forced to take it easy and focus on properly hydrating,” he said.
He got a little carried away on Tuesday and tried to throw an extra trail run in after he had already done his bike/run brick earlier. It really zapped his energy levels and from that point on, he made sure he took it easy for the rest of the week.
Looking forward, Pete is focusing on staying disciplined during the holiday. The three-day weekend can be enticing for an over-trainer to fit an extra workout or two in when it is really unnecessary.
This next week, Pete is hoping cooler weather will give him the opportunity to improve speed on the run. He plans on doing some tempo runs with shorter duration and higher intensity. Like Corrinne, he has the distance portion down, just needs to work on the speed.
Check back in next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing on their quest for the OC Tri.
FUNDRAISER RECAP
Sara Davis
First of all, thanks to everyone that attended my fundraiser Monday to help me get to the Sprint World Championships in Australia. It was definitely a huge success. Triathica helped out a ton with contributing to the raffle and all of the support for which I am very thankful. It was a wonderful gathering of friends, family and even some people who I have never met before, but wanted to help out a local athlete. It made me very excited and I felt so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.
I also want to give a special thanks to my friends who lent their musical talents for the night. You guys sounded great. In the end, the fundraiser helped me pay for my ticket to Australia so thanks to everyone!
When I get to Australia I am doing it the cheapest way I can. My friend Lindsey told me about couchsurfing.com which is an organization where world travelers let other world travelers stay on their couch or in an extra bedroom while you are visiting and will sometimes even act as personal tour guides. She said it was an amazing way to meet people and make life-long friends. I am either doing that or staying at a friend of one of my waterman’s teammates, Micah Carlson knows in Australia.
Either way I am excited to meet new people. I have traveled to other countries on my own before so I totally comfortable in a new environment. Four days before the race I will be staying in a condo at the race site that my friend has set up for me with five older triathletes that always win their age groups. It’s a good environment to be in since they are all very serious and ready to win.
I really don’t know what to expect at World Championships, but it has to be a huge event. There are socials, parades, opening ceremonies, etc. I almost feel as though I am going to the Olympics. My nerves haven’t hit me yet, but I am very excited to experience something completely new. I never thought that after only my second season of triathlon I would qualify for world championships! Well, I will let you all know how it goes and thank you everyone for all of your support! Train hard while I’m gone!
WINTER TRAINING FACILITY
Ron Saetermoe
It may be smoldering hot outside now, but in the next month or two, you can expect things to change. The days will get shorter, and the air colder. It may be hard for you to get all your workouts in due to weather or dislike of riding in darkness. That’s where Triathica comes in.
We have literally everything you need to get your workouts in, all in a cozy, climate controlled facility. Don’t let the comfort fool you. Indoor training is the perfect way to focus on your workout and your workout alone. No worrying about cars, obstacles, visibility, flat tires, waiting for a lane, wearing a jacket, etc. Everything is in a controlled setting which helps you take your workouts to the next level.
With the racing off season and winter approaching, we’re announcing our best deal to date . . . one that will probably NEVER be repeated . . . a six-month membership for just $180.00!!! This is a huge savings off our standard membership of $50 a month.
We know the economy is tough and many of you have been holding off on spending any extra money. However, we also know how dedicated you are to the sport of triathlon. So we’re hoping that this offer will get those of you that are on the fence to come on in and “train like a triathlete.”
Here’s how it works: Enroll in any of our four memberships from September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009 and you will get to train here at Triathica for just $180.00 ($30.00 per month). Your fees are due upon enrollment but we do have a monthly installment option of $210.00, or $35.00 per month.
Your membership begins October 1, 2009 and runs through March 31, 2010. If you want to come in before October 1st to train you will need to buy a regular membership for $40.00 (for an “associate” membership) until October 1st (for the month of September we’re bringing back the three training zone assessments in swim, bike and run with your paid membership — a $150 value.)
Our thought is that with winter coming and daylight savings going, you’ll want to do more of your training indoors. And what better way than with our PowerTap spin bikes, CompuTrainers, an Endless Pool, and Landice treadmills, the smoothest and most quiet treadmills you will ever run on?
Give us a call or come on in. 949.273.6223, Jarrett@triathica.com or 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
THE 30-MINUTE WINDOW
Jarrett Pflieger
What do you think is the most crucial time of a training session? Is it the first few minutes, the very end, the warm-up, or somewhere in the middle of your workout that is the most important? It may surprise you to know the most important time is the 30 minutes directly after your workout is finished.
The time from your warm-up to the conclusion of your workout is obviously important. Improper form, too low an intensity, too high an intensity, unsafe behavior, and other factors can ruin the effectiveness of a workout. But even if do all of that perfectly, you can still negate the benefits of a workout by not using the 30 minute window to replenish nutrients lost during your training session.
During a training session you are taxing your body and using up its energy stores (glycogen). Once your workout is finished, you must replenish what you lost in order for your body to begin the process of repair. In the 30 minutes immediately following your workout, your insulin sensitivity is at its highest and when your body is in this state, whatever nutrients you take in will be easily transported directly to your muscles, liver, and wherever else it is needed. You will suck it up like a sponge.
If you do not eat or drink the right things soon after your workout, the window of opportunity will close and it will take you much longer to replenish glycogen stores and other nutrients. This will dramatically increase the time it takes for you to recover from that workout, decrease the performance benefit of the workout, and affect your next workouts. The more recovery time between workouts, the fewer workouts you can do in a period of time. Fewer and lower quality workouts means less opportunity for fitness gains and slower race times. Can you see why post workout nutrition is so important?
Now you know why it’s important, but what should you eat or drink after a workout?
The three things you need to focus on replenishing after a workout are muscle glycogen, water, and electrolytes. To replace muscle glycogen, you should consume something with easy to digest carbohydrates, about 1 – 1.2 grams per pound of body weight. Simple to digest carbs include some fruits, sports drinks, white bread, simple sugar, etc.
To aid in the absorption rate of the glycogen and prevent muscle catabolism (breaking down muscle tissue for energy), 10-20 grams of easy to digest protein is ideal. Stick with whey protein for this, or even better, hydrolyzed whey, which is already pre digested and made for easy absorption. You can find whey protein at any nutrition store.
To replenish electrolytes, a sports drink is your best bet unless you are planning on eating a salty meal soon after your workout. Electrolyte is basically a fancy word for sodium or salt.
You should continue the carb, protein, electrolyte consumption every two hours or so until your next major meal. If I know I am eating an hour or two after my workout, I find that chocolate milk is a great post workout drink. It has sugar in the milk and the chocolate to replace muscle glycogen and protein in the milk to aid in absorption.
You can get away with a bad warm-up, bad form, or improper intensity to some extent and still have a good workout, but failing to consume proper nutrition can make your workout a waste of time, and in some cases, even damaging. Just remember the 30-minute window of opportunity and plan ahead to make sure you get proper nutrition in before the window closes.
TRIATHICA “STREET TEAM”
Jarrett Pflieger
As many of you know, we are trying our best to reach our 200-member goal by the end of the year. We believe Triathica has the potential to be the literal hub of triathlon in Orange County and once we reach our membership goal and prove it can work, we would like to move to a large, more centrally located facility that offers more to our members.
We are doing alright on our own, but we need help. We are currently putting a “street team” together to help us reach our goal and would like you to be a part of it. Here’s how it will work.
The street team is open to anyone (member or non-member), who would like to make some extra money and contribute to the growth of the sport of triathlon. Basically, all you have to do is tell your friends, family, or whoever else might be interested in training like a triathlete at Triathica, or maybe they are already a triathlete. If they come sign up as a member and give your name as the referral, you make an easy $30, no strings attached.
They sign up, you get paid, the end. We will provide materials, coupons, and some training if you want to make some real money, or you can just mention it to people you know and see what happens. If you are thinking about signing up yourself, just bring in a friend with you to sign up and you will almost pay for you first month’s dues. Depending on how many people you bring in, we’d like to give you free services as well including video analysis, coaching, spin classes, training plans, etc.
It’s easy to be on the team. Just send your name, email, and phone number to Jarrett@triathica.com and we will put you in the system. Every time someone uses your name to sign up, you get a $30 credit to your name. A check will be mailed out to you at the end of every month.
If you have more questions, send us an email or call 949.273.6223. We would love to have you on our team.
THE 27.2 MILE MARATHON
Ron Saetermoe
Efficiency in sport is critical for those wishing to do their best. I see inefficiency everyday with the athletes here at Triathica – especially with their swim. Many people fight the water rather than work with it. Good thing; helps keep us busy.
And while being efficient in the swim is probably the most critical event to the triathlete, it is also important on the bike and run. If you’ve ever ridden a bike that was poorly fit and another that was expertly fit, you know the difference. In fact, you can see it even if you’re not an advanced triathlete. The well-fit cyclist rides with a lot of power and stays out of the wind. Their leg extension is perfect and the back is nice and flat.
Triathletes don’t seem to have a problem spending money on swim coaching or bike fit, but they often don’t think about how efficiently they run. There has been a lot of research and much written about running form, but much of it goes ignored.
The latest thinking in running comes from a number of angles. Pose and Chi running methods have gained some popularity. The OC expert in Pose is Michael Collins of Multisports OC. He’s a Level 3 Pose instructor and can teach you all about it.
There’s also a good book out on Chi running by Danny Dreyer called “Chi Running, A revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running.”
So okay, how much can you really improve? It depends on how you currently run. You may have been born with perfect running form. If so, thank your ancestors. However, if you’re like the rest of us, you’re probably working too hard and not going fast enough.
In fact, did you know, that if you have a vertical bounce in your step of 3” and you run a 4-hour marathon with a leg turnover of 90 that you’re running a vertical mile over the course of your marathon? As if 26.2 weren’t hard enough!
A great way to review your form is to have yourself video taped. The best way to do this is to film yourself on a treadmill from a number of angles and distances. For example, to review your vertical bounce, tape yourself from a distance with something in the background to measure your bounce (a simple piece of masking tape on the wall in the back will do the trick). You’ll be able to approximate how much bounce you have and begin to work on this.
You should also tape foot-strike. If your heal hits the treadmill first you do what is referred to as “heal striking.” Heal striking is generally thought to be less efficient than a mid-foot strike. And if you’re racing any distance you want to be as efficient as possible.
Here at Triathica, we can help. We’ve got the video equipment (including an underwater camera) and the video capture software to fully analyze your swim, bike or run.
Cheers!
